Our two newer areas of doctoral study, Islamic Studies and Religions in America, offer courses that may be related across multiple Committees and are therefore not solely associated with only one Committee.

Broadly speaking the Committees and areas all are mutually interactive, and the same subjects can be and are studied from these different vantage points. Each of the Committees has the heuristic function of identifying and focusing attention on particular questions and methods in the study of religion. Students in the doctoral program choose one area of study in which to specialize, but do coursework and exams across the areas; students in the AMRS, MA and MDiv programs take classes across the areas of study and committees and have freedom to pursue special interests in depth.